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THE lace curtains and half-read documents on the desk fluttered gently with the early summer breeze. Lulled by the faint fragrance of roses carried on the wind, the little prince smiled in his sleep as he rested on his mother’s lap.
It was a soft, lovely moment.
Clovis took a sip of tea and breathed a sigh.
“Hey, Clovis. Are you happy?” she asked.
He placed his cup on the table and turned towards Alicia, who was leaning slightly against him. Her eyes were fixed on their son as he breathed peacefully in his sleep, her hand stroking lovingly through the black locks just like his father’s.
She continued with a gentle smile, “I’m really happy. I have you, and I have him. Every day, I see the smiles of everyone I hold dear. It all feels so normal, but I know it’s not to be taken for granted. I get scared sometimes,” she admitted with a bitter smile, “wondering if all this is just a dream. It’s strange, isn’t it? The happier I become, the more afraid I am of losing it. Even when I have the two of you right here.”
“That’s not strange at all,” Clovis answered as he wrapped an arm around his wife, pulling her close gently so as not to wake the boy. He looked down at Alicia. “It means that you care about us… I feel the same. I love both of you more than anyone else in the world, and I’m proud to be able to support you and protect this kingdom by your side.”
“You’re exaggerating again.”
“Do you think so?” he asked with a smile.
Alicia looked away, and he knew his words always made her a little shy.
“Also,” he continued as he kissed his beloved’s cheek. “I used to hate it, but now I’m glad for my hair color. It’s all thanks to you, Alicia. Thank you for seeing me and giving me this child.”
“Clovis…”
“I’ll have to work even harder so that he can always be proud of his hair color.”
Alicia leaned in, giving her surprised husband a soft kiss on the lips before looking into his eyes. “I love you too, Clovis, my beloved husband.”
His heart filled with warmth at her words.
How many times had he been saved by her? Enveloped in her love?
“…I know,” he whispered, his voice sweet and melancholic.
A hint of hesitation flashed across Alicia’s eyes before she gently closed them. Taking that as a hint, Clovis leaned in to kiss her cherry lips.
But before their lips could meet, the prince whined as he moved.
“…Father? Mother?”
The parents looked at each other and smiled. Clovis was a little disappointed, but it couldn’t be helped.
“Are you awake, my spoiled child?” Alicia teased.
“You do love sleeping on your mother’s lap.”
The boy rubbed his eyes and sat up slowly.
With black hair that resembled the silence of night and blue eyes like the bright spring sky, the boy was, without a doubt, Alicia and Clovis’s treasure.
Looking around the room curiously, the boy finally turned to look up at his parents.
“Father, Mother, I had a dream.”
“A dream? What was it about?”
“I had a sister. A cute little sister.”
Alicia and Clovis looked at each other and smiled.
“Well, well.” Clovis nodded wisely before picking the prince up and placing him on his lap, patting him gently on the head. “What a nice dream! Who knows, maybe it’ll become a reality.”
“Really?”
“Really. Right, Alicia?”
“Yes,” Alicia agreed, her hand gently rubbing her belly. It was just starting to swell a little. Her eyes crinkled with happiness as she whispered, “I’d love to meet you soon.”
The Blue Rose had woven a new destiny. Uncertain yet endearing, extending far into the future…